POLICE ARRIVED. KENNY: CHILD SAFETY ADVOCATES SAY THE TIME HAS COME FOR CONGRESS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT KIDS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT BEHIND IN HOT CARS. SO FAR THIS YEAR 23 KIDS HAVE DIED OF HEATSTROKE AFTER A PARENT OR CAREGIVER FORGOT THEY WERE INSIDE THE CAR. BILL O’NEIL JOINS US IN GREENSBORO WITH THE STORY NEW AT 5:00. BILL: THE HOT CAR ACT OF WOULD 2019 MANDATE EVERY NEW CAR COME WITH A DEVICE ALERTING THE DRIVER OF THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD IN THE BACK SEAT. A FEW CARS, LIKE THIS HYUNDAI PALISADE, ALREADY HAVE SUCH A DEVICE >> OPEN TH DOOR AND YOU SOMETIMES FORGET TO CHECK THE BACKSEAT. SO WHEN YO CHECK -- TURN IT OFF AND OPEN THE DOOR, IT WILL SHOW YOU AN ALERT TO CHECK THE REAR SEAT. BILL: A GROUP CALLED KIDSANDCARS.ORG ASKED CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION TWO YEARS AGO. A SPOKESPERSON SAYS IT’S UNACCEPTABLE TO CONTINUE PUTTING CHILDRENS LIVES AT RISK WHEN THERE’S A SOLUTION AVAILABLE. >> IT’S NOT FAIRYTALE DREAM TECHNOLOGY THAT IS IN THE WORKS. IT ALREADY EXISTS. HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE DIE BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING? KENNY: THERE ARE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW, SUCH AS THE ECLIP, TO HELP WARN PARENTS. >> IT SOUNDS AN ALARM IF YOU GO MORE THAN 50 FEET FROM YOUR CAR WITHOUT REMOVING YOUR CHILD OR TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. BILL: SOME 800 CHILDREN HAVE DIED FROM HEATSTROKE IN HOT CARS OVER THE PAST 20-YEARS. NORTH CAROLINA RANKS 6TH IN THE NATION FOR THESE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS. LAST MONTH A RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA TOLD WXII 12 NEWS HOW OUR MEMORY WORKS CAN LEAD TO THESE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS. >> WE LOSE AWARENESS OF THAT PLAN. WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ELSE. ARMAND SHIFTS TO SOME OTHER PROCESS. BILL: SEVERAL VIEWERS DISAGREED WITH THE RESEARCHER, SUSAN STONE COMMENTED ON FACEBOOK, ’NO ONE THAT LOVES THEIR CHILDREN FORGETS THEM, I DON’T NEED A RESEARCHER TO TELL ME WHY.’ >> THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS JUST PART OF A FLAW IN THE HUMAN BRAIN FUNCTIONS. BILL: THE HOT CARS ACT OF 2019 FACES OPPOSITION FROM CA MAKERS. THE ALLIANCE OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTERS, A LOBBYING GROUP, SAYS EDUCATION IS A BETTER OPTION. ISSUING A STATEMENT THAT SAYS GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS SAVES , LIVES TODAY. >> AWARENESS ISN’T WORKING. IT’S NOT ENOUGH. BILL: THE KIDS AND CARS GROUP HAS BEEN RAISING AWARENESS FOR 20 YEARS. THE SPOKESPERSON SAYS SHE’S HOPEFUL THIS YEAR CONGRESS WILL TAKE ACTION, NOTING LAST YEAR WAS THE COUNTRY’S MOST DEADLY EVER FOR HOT CAR ACCIDENTS, 53-KIDS DIED IN